Kalan recipe with step by step photos. Kalan is a sour-tasting dish made with curd or buttermilk and veggies like yam and plantain. A typical ground coconut paste is also added in this dish, which balances the sour flavors from the curd. This recipe is gluten free too.
This recipe is from the rich and versatile Kerala Cuisine and is served in the onam sadya.
I make kalan recipe on occasions. Sometimes I just add yam and at times both yam and plantain. When I prepare kalan recipe, I also prepare a dry sautéed or stir-fried veggie dish like ash gourd thoran or beetroot thoran to go as an accompaniment.
You can serve some papaddums and ginger pickle or lemon pickle as a side accompaniment.
Kalan is one of the dishes that is served in the onam sadya meal. Since onam is around the corner, thought of sharing the recipe.
Kalan is best served with steamed white rice or Kerala matta rice.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Kalan Recipe
Cooking Yam, Plantains
1. Firstly peel, rinse and then chop the elephant foot yam (suran) in cubes or squares. You will need about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped suran. Take the chopped suran in a pan.
2. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ to ¾ teaspoon crushed black pepper. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Pour ½ cup water. The water should just about cover the suran cubes.
4. If using plantain (unripe banana), then you can add ¾ cup of plantain along with ¾ cup of yam.
5. Add water just about covering them.
6. Now continuing with step 3 – after adding water in the pan, cover the pan with a lid and keep it on a stovetop. Cook on low to medium heat till the suran becomes tender and gets cooked.
Making Coconut Paste
7. Meanwhile whilst the yam is getting cooked, take ½ cup tightly packed fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar. Add 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
8. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
9. Take 1 cup sour curd in a bowl and beat it with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth. You can also use fresh curd instead of sour curd.
10. When the suran cubes are getting cooked, do check at intervals. In case the water dries up and the suran pieces are not cooked, then add some more water. Cover the pan with its lid and continue to cook.
11. Check if the yam is cooked by cutting it with a knife or passing a knife through a few cubes. The knife should pass easily.
12. If there is water in the pan, then evaporate it without the lid. There should be no water in the pan, before you proceed to the next step.
Making Kalan Curry
13. Now add the ground coconut paste. Keep the heat to a low while adding coconut paste.
14. Stir and mix very well.
15. Then add the beaten curd.
16. Stir and mix again.
17. If the gravy looks very thick, then you can add ¼ cup water. Mix well.
18. Season with salt as required. Do keep in mind that while cooking suran, some salt was added.
19. Bring the kalan curry to a boil. Once the curry comes to a boil, then switch off the heat. The curry will also thicken. Do note that the curry will thicken more, once it cools. So, adjust the water quantity in the curry accordingly.
Making Tempering
20. In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
21. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
22. Then add 1 to 2 red chilies and 10 to 12 curry leaves. Fry till the red chilies change color. Do not burn them.
23. Next add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds which have been slightly crushed in a mortar-pestle.
24. Mix and switch off the heat.
25. Pour the tempering mixture in the kalan curry. Cover with a lid and let the flavors mingle for 4 to 5 minutes.
26. Later mix well and serve kalan curry hot with steamed rice.
More Kerala Recipes
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Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry
Kalan is a delicious dish made with elephant foot yam, plantains, coconut and curd. It is one of the dishes that is served in onam sadya.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Cooking veggies
Firstly peel, rinse and then chop the elephant foot yam (suran) in cubes or squares. You will need about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped suran. Take the chopped suran in a pan.
Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ to ¾ teaspoon crushed black pepper. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt.
Pour ½ cup water. The water should just about cover the suran cubes.
If using plantain (unripe banana), then you can add ¾ cup of plantains along with ¾ cup of yam.
Add water just about covering them.
Now continuing with step 3 – after adding water in the pan, cover the pan with a lid and keep it on a stove top. Cook on low to medium flame till the suran becomes tender and gets cooked.
Do check at intervals. In case the water dries up and the suran pieces are not cooked, then add some more water. Cover and continue to cook.
Check if the yam is cooked by cutting it with a knife or passing a knife through a few cubes. The knife should pass easily.
Grinding coconut paste and whisking curd
Meanwhile whilst the suran is getting cooked, take ½ cup tightly packed fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar. Add 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.
Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.
Take 1 cup sour curd in a bowl and beat it with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth. You can also use fresh curd instead of sour curd.
Making kalan curry
Once the yam is cooked and tender, then its time to add the coconut paste. If there is water in the pan, then evaporate it without the lid. There should be no water in the pan, before you proceed to the next step.
Now add the ground coconut paste and mix very well. Keep the flame to a low while adding coconut paste.
Then add the beaten curd and mix again.
If the gravy looks very thick, then you can add ¼ cup water. Mix well.
Season with salt. Do keep in mind that while cooking suran, some salt was added.
Bring the curry to a boil. Once the curry comes to a boil, then switch off the flame.
Making tempering
In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.
Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Then add 1 to 2 red chilies and 10 to 12 curry leaves. Fry till the red chilies change color. Do not burn them.
Next add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds which have been slightly crushed in a mortar-pestle.
Mix and switch off the flame.
Pour the tempering mixture in the kalan curry. Cover with a lid and let the flavors mingle for 4 to 5 minutes.
Later mix well and serve kalan with steamed rice.
Nutrition Facts
Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 548mg24%
Potassium 437mg12%
Carbohydrates 17g6%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 240IU5%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 29mg145%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 60mg73%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 91mg9%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 309µg77%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 20mg5%
Phosphorus 93mg9%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Kalan Recipe from the archives, originally published in August 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.
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